Panel mounting structure



Aug. 26, 1958 G. D. PETERSON PANEL MOUNTING STRUCTURE Filed March 11;1955 INVENTOR. 60%;0 0. P1572750 K m a W W H 7 TORNE Y United StatesPatent PANEL MOUNTING STRUCTURE Gerald D. Peterson, Detroit, Mich.

Application March 11, 1955, Serial No. 493,691

3 Claims. (Cl. 20-56.4)

This invention relates to an improved panel mounting structure and moreparticularly to a mounting structure for double glazed windows.

It is known to place a panel retaining strip in a groove formed in asash frame member to retain the panel in place in the sash. Theretaining strip is commonly forced into the groove so that it is snuglyengaged thereby and it is frequently made of a suitable shape, such as aU shape, so that it is capable of resiliently supporting the panel. Boththe metallic sash frame member and the retaining strip are often formedby extrusion of a suitable material such as aluminum. In such cases itis difficult to maintain tolerances on the extruded metal articlebecause the contours of the extrusion die wear at a rather rapid rate.Thus, wearing of the extrusion dies will cause the retaining stripproduced thereby to become thicker than desired and will cause thegroove to become narrower than desired. It thus becomes extremelydifficult, or impossible, to force such a panel retaining strip into thegroove in the frame member. The die must then be renewed even though theparts are otherwise acceptable.

When it is desired to use a double-glazed window with the type of'retaining strip and sash frame described above, the sash frame member isordinarily provided with two grooves which cooperate with two retainingstrips and some additional elements to hold the panels in position. Sucha structure involves additional cost in manufacture and is diflicult toassemble.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improvedstructure for the sash frame member and retaining strip.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a structure for asash frame member and reatining strip in which close manufacturingtolerances are unnecessary.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improvedstructure for mounting double-glazed windows.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a mounting for adouble-glazed window using a single retaining strip.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent tothose with experience in this field upon reading the followingspecification and inspecting the accompanying drawing which is asectional view of a sash frame member having closure panels mountedthereon.

In meeting the objects and purposes set forth above as well as thoserelated thereto, there is provided in general, a loose fit between theretaining strip and the groove in the sash frame unit so that theretaining strip can be easily inserted into the groove, to provide thenecessary firmness for holding the closure panel in position. Anintermediate member is positioned between the panel and the retainingstrip. The intermediate member has a relatively highly resilient elementcontacting the panel, which element supplies the necessary resilientmounting for the panel. The intermediate member is also provided with agroove which is adapted to support a second closure panel to form adouble-glazed window.

For convenience in reference, although with no intenice tion to limit orto indicate any particular, necessary operating position of the windowparts herein described, the following terminology will sometimeshereinafter be utilized, either in the description and/ or thehereinafter appended claims: the term outward, or derivatives thereof,will be utilized to denote directions appearing as left- Wardly in thedrawing; the term inward, or derivatives thereof, will be utilized todenote directions appearing as rightwardly in said drawing; the termupper, or derivatives thereof, will be utilized to denote directionsappearing as upwardly in said drawing; and the term downward, orderivaties thereof, will be utilized to denote directions appearing asdownwardly in said drawing. It will be understood, however, that thesereferences are for convenience only and that the structure hereindisclosed may actually be utilized with the reversal of the inward andoutward directions with respect to the building in which the window ismounted.

Referring to the drawing in detail, a sash frame member 10 includes acentral web portion 11 and side members 12 and 13 at opposite edges ofthe web. A longitudinally extending groove 14 is formed in the web 11adjacent side member 13. The frame member has an upwardly extendingflange 15 which contacts and supports one surface of closure panel 16.Other means for supporting said one surface of the closure panel may beemployed in place of flange 15 if desired.

A retaining strip 17 is provided with a leg portion 18 which is receivedwithin the groove 14. The thickness of the leg portion 18 issufficiently less than the width of the groove 14 so that the legportion is normally rather loosely received within the groove. Thus,substantial die wear can be tolerated before the strip 17 will fail toenter the groove 14. The retaining strip 17 has a raised, transverselyextending portion 19 formed at the upper end of leg 18. This portionoverlies and is spaced above the top edge of side member 13. The spacingbetween the top edge of member 13 and the portion 19 is suflicient toallow a prying element, such as a screw driver to be insertedtherebetween. It is preferable, for appearance purposes, that the outersurface of the raised portion 19 be co-planar with the outer surface ofside member 13. Thus, the outer surface of the leg portion 18 is notexactly parallel to the outer surface of the portion 19, as set forth inmore detail below. The raised portion 19 is provided with a flange 20which contacts the intermediate member 21.

The intermediate member 21 is positioned between the retaining strip 17and closure panel 16 and rests on the upper surface of the web 11.Member 21 has a groove 22 formed therein which receives a flexible andrelatively highly resilient element 23. Element 23 supplies theresilient support for panel 16. As shown, this element may be in theform of an elastomeric, as rubber, tube. However, the invention includeselements made in other shapes and of different materials so long as thenecessary resiliency of the element is maintained. Member 21 has agroove 24 formed in its upper surface which receives a channel-shapedresilient element 25. A second closure panel 26 is mounted within thegroove 24 and the element 25 to form, in combination with closure panel16, a double-glazed unit.

In assembly, panel 16 is placed in engagement with flange 15 andintermediate member 21 is placed on the upper surface of web 11 withelement 23 contacting the other surface of panel 16. Retaining strip 17is inserted into the groove 14 and its flange 20 contacts theintermediate member 21. As shown, the leg 18 of the retaining strip 17will lie at an angle to the axis of the groove 14 because of the atherloose fit between leg 18 and groove 14. For this reason portion 19 liesat the same angle to the axis of leg 18 as the groove 14 so that it willbe parallel to the axis of the groove and so that the outer surface ofportion 19 will be co-planar with the outside surface of side member 13.

When it is desired to dis-assemble the mountingpane'ls, a prying member,such as a screw driver, is inserted in the space between portion 19 andthe top edgeof side member 13 and the mounting strip 17 is forced out ofthe groove thereby. The resilient element 23. will absorb any pressureexerted on the panel 16 or intermediate member 21 during assembly ordisassembly or normal use of the unit. a

Although a particular, preferred embodiment of the invention has beendisclosed hereinabove for illustrative purposes, it will be understoodthat variations or modiflcations thereof which lie within the scope ofsaid invention are fully contemplated herein unless specifically statedto the contrary in the appended claims'.

I claim:

1. In a device formounting a pair of closure panels for a double-glazedwindow, the combination comprising:

an elongated sash frame member having a central web,

flange means at one end of said web for engaging the outer surface ofone of said panels and means defining a groove adjacent the other end ofsaid central web, said groove being substantially parallel with saidflange means; a retaining strip receivable within said groove andcomprising a pressure member and a leg member, said leg member beingappreciably narrower than said groove, and said pressure member havingan inner surface arranged substantially parallel with said flange means,said leg member extending from said pressure member at such an anglewith respect to said inner surface that, when the lower part of said legmember bears against the side of said groove nearest said flange meansand an upper part of said leg member bears against the upper edge ofthat side of the groove furthest from said flange means, said innersurface will be aligned substantially parallel with the general extentof said flange means; an intermediate member having a sash retaininggroove thereinand having also an inner surface arranged substantiallyparallel with said flange means and arranged for contact with saidpressure member, and said intermediatemember also having a compressible,resilient pressure member extending outwardly of the outer face thereoffor engaging the inner surface of a closure panel and urging it againstsaid flange means, the relative sizes and arrangement of said partsbeing such that, in operating position with said resilient memberpartially compressed and said intermediate member bearing against saidpressure member, the lower end of said leg member will bear against thelower edge of the outer wall of said groove and anupper por tion of saidleg member will bear against the upper edge of the inner wall of saidgroove.

2. In a device for mounting a closure panel, the combination comprising:an elongated sash frame member having a central web; flange means at oneend of said web for engaging the outer surface of said panel and meansdefining a groove adjacent the other end of said central web, saidgroove being substantially parallel with said flange means; a retainingstrip receivable within said member at such an angle with respect tosaid inner surface that, when the lower part of said leg memberbearsagainst the side of said groove nearest said flange means and an upperpart of said leg member bears against the upper edge of that side of thegroove furthest from said flange means, said inner surface will bealigned'substantially parallel with the general extent of said flangemeans; means engaging said pressure member and the other side of saidpanel, said last-named means. including a compressible, resilient memberextending outwardly 'of the,

having a central web with a flat upper surface; a flange 8 extendingupwardly from one end of said flat upper surface of said web forengaging the outer surface of said;

panel; means defining a downwardly extending groove at the other end ofsaid central web, said groove being substantially parallel with saidflange and being spaced therefrom a distance materially greater than thethickness of the closure panel; a retaining strip receivablewithin saidgroove and comprising a pressure member anda leg member, said leg memberbeing appreciably narrower than said groove, said pressure member havingan inner surface arranged substantially parallel with said flange means,said inner surface being positioned above said groove and comprising apressure member and a leg member, said leg member being appreciablynarrower than said groove, said pressure member having an inner surfacearranged substantially parallel with said flange means, said leg memberextending from said pressure central web at said other end thereof andbeing spaced thereabove a distance suflicient to permit a tool to 'beinserted therebetween for removing said retaining strip from saidgroove; said leg member extending from said pressure member at such anangle with respect tosaid inner surface that, when the lower part ofsaid leg member bears against the side of said groove nearest saidflange and an upper part of said leg member bears against the upper edgeof that side of the groove furthest from said flange said inner surfacewill be aligned substantially parallel with the general extent of saidflange; means extending from said pressuremember towardsaid flange andengaging the inner surface ofsaid panel, said last-named means includinga compressible, resilient member extending outwardly of the outerfacethereof for engaging the inner surface of said panel and urging itagainst said flange, the relative sizes and arrangements of said partsbeing such that, in operating position with said resilient memberpartially compressed, the lower end of said leg member will bear againstthe outer wall of said groove and an upper portion of said' leg memberwill bear against the upper edge of the .inner wall of said,

groove.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS;

919,887 Kohler ,Apr.127, 1909 985,800 Hartbauer -T Mar. 7,1911 2,264,187Owen Nov. 25, 1941 2,266,973 Horton Dec. 23, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS, I v 7927,205 France Apr. 28, 1947

